ICD-10 Industry Update

On February 16, 2012, HHS announced its intent to delay the implementation date for ICD-10. The current compliance date is October 1, 2013 pending an official release of a delayed date. Below is an excerpt from the February announcement:

“As part of President Obama’s commitment to reducing regulatory burden, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen G. Sebelius today announced that HHS will initiate a process to postpone the date by which certain health care entities have to comply with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition diagnosis and procedure codes (ICD-10).

The final rule adopting ICD-10 as a standard was published in January 2009 and set a compliance date of October 1, 2013 – a delay of two years from the compliance date initially specified in the 2008 proposed rule. HHS will announce a new compliance date moving forward.”

While a delay for compliance appears to be around the corner, providers and vendors are advised by the industry not to cease planning and preparation for the transition to ICD-10. Seacoast will continue with efforts toward ICD-10 and urges our Clients to also continue with preparation efforts. If you have questions please feel free to contact Project Managers  Jess Hodges or Beth Huddleston

ICD-10 Industry Update

On February 14, 2012, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner announced that CMS is reconsidering the implementation date of October 2013 based on pressure from organizations, such as the AMA and MGMA. These organizations cite negative impacts of the 5010 transition on providers for their concern with yet another sizeable change. Both the disruption of cash flow and the continued use of valuable human resources on the 5010 transition, which are needed to begin preparing for ICD-10, were also cited as strong concerns. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has publicly stated that their intent is to delay ICD-10.

Some healthcare agencies who have already invested a great deal of resources did not react well to the news that CMS is reconsidering the ICD-10 billing code set timeline and state that a delay could jeopardize other programs such as Meaningful Use and would delay the modernization of our healthcare system further.

Seacoast will continue to look for updates from CMS which may either confirm or delay the October 2013 date for ICD-10 conversion. We will continue with our preparation efforts.

ICD-10 Resources for Provider Education

As Seacoast continues our research and preparation for the upcoming change to ICD-10 CM codes, we would like to share resources and knowledge to benefit our Clients.

Answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions include:

*ICD-9 codes will no longer be accepted on claims (including electronic and paper) with FROM dates of service (on professional and supplier claims) or dates of discharge/through dates (on institutional claims) on or after October 1, 2013.

*CD-10-CM (diagnoses) will be used by all providers in every health care setting.

The following links will help you begin learning about the changes and expected impact on providers.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ICD-10 Website

https://www.cms.gov/ICD10/

If you have questions or comments regarding ICD-10 research and education, they may be forwarded to Jess Hodges, Project Manager by email at jhodges@sldsi.com or phone at 603.431.4114 Ext. 6238.

CMS ICD-10 Vendor Conference

http://www.cmsvendorconference.com/

CMS GEMS

ttps://www.cms.gov/ICD10/11b14_2012_ICD10CM_and_GEMs.asp

Transcripts of Previous CMS Teleconferences are available.

https://www.cms.gov/ICD10/Tel10/list.asp#TopOfPage

5010 Electronic Remittance Advice

Many of our Clients have now transitioned to submitting claims using the 5010 Electronic Claims Submission file format. As payers begin sending final claim adjudication and payment information in 5010 format, existing ERA files must be upgraded to meet the new 5010 requirements which became effective on January 1, 2012. If you have not yet received quotes to upgrade your 5010 files, please contact your Support Representative today.

Seacoast continues working toward the light at the end of the 5010 tunnel and we look forward to returning to work on projects which may have been offset by the amount of efforts required to ensure our Clients are 5010 compliant.

NEW Process 277 Claim Acknowledgement Report

As part of 5010, Medicare has changed the format of 277 transactions used to communicate the status of individual claims. Previously, a human readable report was provided along with a 277U file. Medicare and other payers will now send only a 277CA file which will require translation in order to be read. In order to assist our Clients with the review of this report, Seacoast has created a new 277CA report that can be printed from SurroundLabAR.

Seacoast is proud to offer this updated report to our Clients as a standard upgrade. The base report will be added to your system upon request at no charge. Any requests for customizations to the report will be processed as a quoted project. Please contact your Support Representative for additional assistance. This information was provided by Jess Hodges, AR project Manager ext. 6238

ICD-10 Preparation to Begin

Health care providers face another significant industry change mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, ICD-10, which is currently scheduled for implementation on October 1, 2013. Seacoast will continue with our internal research and development analyses in March 2012 to begin preparation for the transition to ICD-10.

Clients are also urged to learn more about the upcoming changes:

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding ICD-10, please use the following link to CMS:

http://www.cms.gov/ICD10/Downloads/ICD10FAQs.pdf

For detailed information provided during the most recent CMS ICD-10 Implementation Strategies and Planning National Provider Call on November 17, 2011, please use link below:

http://www.cms.gov/ICD10/Tel10/itemdetail.asp?filterType=none&filterByDID=- 99&sortByDID=1&sortOrder=descending&itemID=CMS1253081&intNumPerPage=10

Please direct any questions to Jess Hodges, Project Manager at 603.431.4114 extension 38.

On November 17, 2011, CMS released a statement that it would not initiate 5010 enforcement action until March 31, 2012. However, CMS still requires 5010 conversion on the January 1, 2012 date. Seacoast continues to work diligently to assist our Clients with becoming 5010 compliant by the mandated deadline. The best indication of a successful transition to ASC X12 Version 5010 HIPAA Transactions comes from successful testing. Therefore, we continue the testing and validation process with our Clients and their payers. In addition, we have Clients who have already successfully converted to the new 5010 submission process. To read the entire CMS news release, click the following link:

http://www.cms.gov/ICD10/Downloads/CMSStatement5010EnforcementDiscretion111711.pdf

We still face some industry challenges. These include, but are not limited to, payers who are unable to process 5010 format test files and payers which have enrollment and/or approval processes which have been managed slowly by the payers. Both of these are issues that were identified and openly discussed on the CMS National Call for 5010 Implementation in which vendors and clearinghouses were asked to share their challenges with becoming 5010 compliant by January 1, 2012.

We appreciate your understanding as our Support Team has worked conscientiously to balance the needs of 5010 projects with other important projects for Clients. If you have not yet received quotes to create 5010 Remittance files, or for other questions related to 5010 compliance, please contact your Support Representative today to avoid unnecessary delays.

2012 Current Procedural Terminology Codes Effective January 1, 2012

Seacoast will install a CPT update file to our SurroundLab AR Clients prior to this effective date. This annual update is completed without additional fees.

Please direct any questions to Jess Hodges, Project Manager at 603.431.4114 x38.

Wishing our clients a safe and happy holiday season!         

5010 Reminder – 5010 MUST be given priority to meet the mandated compliance date.

As the deadline of January 1, 2012 looms near, your Seacoast Support Team continues the steady progress in coding and testing the 5010 updates for ECS. Seacoast continues to dedicate Wednesdays for advancement toward reaching 5010 compliance by the mandated deadline.We appreciate your understanding as we move these critical projects to the top of the priority list and dedicate the time needed to achieve 5010 compliance for our Clients.

Please contact your Support Representative for questions related to 5010 compliance.Important Update Regarding Changes to the Laboratory National Coverage Determination (NCD) Edit Software for October 2011

CMS changes to the Laboratory NCD Edit Software became effective on October 1, 2011. The details of these changes can be found in the MLN Matters Number MM7507. Clients may need to update SLAR in accordance with these changes.

“The official instruction, CR7507 issued to your carrier, FI or A/B MAC regarding this change may be viewed at

http://www.cms.gov/Transmittals/downloads/R2298CP.pdf on the CMS website.” (Excerpt, MLN#MM7507)

As part of our annual support, Seacoast recently completed the updates to the ICD-9 file definition. This update reflects the 2012 CMS changes for new, revised and deleted diagnosis codes which take effect October 1, 2011. Click on the link below for summary tables of New, Revised and Deleted codes: http://www.cms.gov/ICD9ProviderDiagnosticCodes/07_summarytables.asp

NEW Process 277 Claim Acknowledgement Report

As part of 5010, Medicare has changed the format of 277 transactions used to communicate the status of individual claims. Previously, a human readable report was provided along with a 277U file. Medicare and other payers will now send only a 277CA file which will require translation in order to be read. In order to assist our Clients with the review of this report, Seacoast has created a new 277CA report that can be printed from SurroundLab AR. Seacoast is proud to offer this updated report to our Clients as a standard upgrade. The base report will be added to your system upon request at no charge. Any requests for customizations to the report will be processed as a quoted project. Please contact your Support Representative for additional assistance.

5010 Reminder – Are you READY?

Please take advantage of 5010 Wednesdays. This time is designated to the progress of 5010 projects. The deadline for compliance is January 1, 2012. 5010 must be given priority as the compliance date is quickly approaching. Some payers are requiring an application process before 5010 testing can begin. This application process can take time and create delays in the testing process. Therefore it should be a priority for the first week in October to contact payers and verify their required
process for testing 5010. If a 5010 project is not underway for your site, the time has arrived to make it happen. Please contact your Support Representative for questions related to 5010 compliance

Contact your Seacoast Representative for more information about 5010 compliance updates by calling 603-431-4114 or filling out our form.

Suzanne Ray has joined Seacoast in the roll of Account Representative. In this position, Suzanne is ready to assist our Clients with any sales related activities. In addition, Suzanne is an excellent resource for information on the new and exciting products Seacoast has to offer. Over the past weeks, Suzanne has been reaching out to introduce herself as a new resource available to our Clients. If you have not had the chance to speak with her yet, Suzanne can be reached on extension 20, or via email at sray@sldsi.com.

Updated website!

As you can see, our website has been completely overhauled to provide better info, easier browsing and a direct connection to our sales team. We are excited with the new look, added information about our products and services, and the inclusion of selected ShoreLine newsletters.

Who should I call for…?

Support related issues and concerns can be directed to Lisa Turgeon. Lisa can be reached at extension 26 and is available to address any issues or concerns related to installation and support. Please feel free to contact her via phone, or email at lisat@sldsi.com

Invoice and billing related questions can be directed to Cheryl Hoffman. Cheryl can be reached at extension 10, or via email at choffman@sldsi.com

This is a full time, permanent position.  Previous experience with Clinical Laboratory Information Systems is required.

Please submit your resume by fax 603.766.7969, email, or fill out our online application form for immediate consideration.